Air Force HPSP Selections

[bbawco1]

for everyone waiting, I just found out today. He also said that he believed there was a 100% acceptance for the people applying with the first board....so good luck to all

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[DD214_DOC]

When does the first board meet? I will be applying to AF and Navy this year, and would like a good time to get the ball rolling. Basically, when should I make contact with the AF HPSP recruiter? June?

 

[bbawco1]

anytime really but in order to do most of anything they need an acceptance letter. I talked with him like in May and got my acceptance in october so I don't know what most people do if they get late acceptances. Anyways, just call them and ask about when and they should help you out.

 

[Homunculus]

Originally posted by JKDMed
When does the first board meet? I will be applying to AF and Navy this year, and would like a good time to get the ball rolling. Basically, when should I make contact with the AF HPSP recruiter? June?

no love for the Army? ouch. have fun on your GMO tour or competing for the two residency slots available in the specialty you want

seriously though, good luck on your apps

 

[DD214_DOC]

Well I considered Army, but applying to two different branches looks bad enough

Kinda funny, I grew up around the Army, I spent time in Navy ROTC in college, and all my friends are in the Air Force. A few are in the Marine Corps, though.

 

[cdreed]

Congratulations! You definitely chose the best. I absolutely love the AF.

 

[Demosthenes_7]

Originally posted by bbawco1
for everyone waiting, I just found out today. He also said that he believed there was a 100% acceptance for the people applying with the first board....so good luck to all

I heard that there were only 72 applications for 250 spots at the first board.

 

[militarymd]

gee, I wonder why there are so few applicants?

 

[Homunculus]

Originally posted by militarymd
gee, I wonder why there are so few applicants?

because the military is evil, EVIL!!! Flag officers are teh suxxor!!

lol. i can't imagine what it must be like to work with you. are you this negative in real life?

 

[Homunculus]

byt the way-- when *are* you getting out of the navy? i don't think you ever told us. it's gotta be soon. we'll throw a party

 

[bbawco1]

could we for once, please not hijack this thread too with the same stuff I've heard on every other military thread

 

[Homunculus]

Originally posted by bbawco1
could we for once, please not hijack this thread too with the same stuff I've heard on every other military thread

you had to know militarymd was gonna chime in *something* negative. but i will attempt to rerail the train.

i think if you have decent stats and apply early enough pretty much any branch is a virtual lock for HPSP. congrats on getting in, and have fun at COT. my classmates who went said it was hot and more work than it should have been.

 

[NJEMT1]

Originally posted by Demosthenes_7
I heard that there were only 72 applications for 250 spots at the first board.

If this is true, this is a relief to read. I am going to the second board for the AF. Of course I am very excited for everyone selected! But when I read here that there was 100% acceptance I was getting really nervous that there would be no AF scholarships left. My recuriter told me that three years ago there were enough applications from the first board so they didn't even look at the second board's applications.

 

[DD214_DOC]

War = lower applications. Maybe I'll only have to apply to one branch to begin with

 

[jmruby3]

Congratulations bbawco1! I also went up for the first Air Force HPSP board and was selected (as you said all 80 applicants who applied for the first board were selected). My recruiter told me they have 100 applicants for 45 more scholarships.

 

[DD214_DOC]

Well someone's recruiter is lying or misinformed. The above recruiter said there were only 72 apps for 250 spots, the one just above me says there are 80 + 45 = 125.

 

[bbawco1]

well, regardless it seems like a good idea to be in the first board so you'd be in best shape to start yourself early in the process and you'll be right behind us.

 

[DD214_DOC]

Maybe I missed it in this thread, but when does the first board meet? January?

 

[bbawco1]

for air force it was like 2 weeks ago but the exact date is on a previous thread

 

[militarymd]

Originally posted by Homunculus
because the military is evil, EVIL!!! Flag officers are teh suxxor!!

lol. i can't imagine what it must be like to work with you. are you this negative in real life?

The above is true, but it was a honest question....why so few applicants?

 

[militarymd]

Originally posted by Homunculus
byt the way-- when *are* you getting out of the navy? i don't think you ever told us. it's gotta be soon. we'll throw a party

not in navy

 

[Homunculus]

sure you aren't so how many years you have left?

 

[militarymd]

double digit days..Actually, I'm barely working now, other than trying to set up my private practice job.

 

[FliteSurgn]

militarymd,

I envy you. I have to re-enter active duty this July and I'm not too excited about it. I'd soooo much rather be setting up my shingle somewhere. Live and learn, I guess. I sure wish that I'd have had this site as a resource back when I was applying for HPSP.

Good luck in your new practice!

 

[metabolite]

A few things on this thread differ from what I was told...

1. My recruiter said that there are about 150 slots or so.

2. First AF board met in February (application deadline was on the 15th of January) and the results are out! I'm in!

3. Navy definitely gives out scholarships on rolling basis... I called them last week just in case AF doesn't come through and they said it's still not too late... I know someone who got their Navy scholarship in March or April of last year...

4. How bad can it be? Really, military seems to me a bit more strict than the corporate environment (to which I gave 5 of my youthful years) and I think it would be challenging and rewarding. I was told that training period will go uninterrupted, because dragging out an untrained physician to under-equipped environment would be counterproductive... I figure depending on your specialty, your deployment into war situation during the active duty would vary... i.e. pediatricians or ob/gyn are less likely to be in the war field than general surgeons... feel free to elaborate on this view, as I am curious. Actually, please elaborate on this view as I must swear in next week.

 

[Rudy]

People are hammering MilitaryMD for being "negative" in his views, but the reality is that most military physicians feel the same way. As a transitional intern rotating through the various depts at the military institution where I am training, I saw (and heard) firsthand that most share similar frustrations and are counting the days until they can separate.

The best advice I never heard while contemplating signing up for military medicine is that it is a good thing to do only if you if you think you would enjoy being in the military anyway. If you have concerns about deployment, spending several years living in undesirable places far from family, or military unique aspects, do yourself a favor and do not sign up. The job market for physicians is strong and most are able to pay off debt without much difficulty.

If you are really having a tough time deciding on whether or not to join, take the time to visit a large military medical center that actively participates in GME and talk with actual staff physicians in payback. This is the only way to know for yourself what it is really like in military medicine. Talk to them and ask them if they would join the military if they could do it all over again; whether the answer is yes or no you will likely gain valuable insights. Don't blindly trust a recruiter who has never set foot in a hospital when making a decision that will have such huge long term impact on your life and career.

 

[Moneybee]

First of all congratulations to all who got in, I was told 70+ out of 140 got the scholarship.

Anyway I have a major dillema and want to know if someone could please help. I have been admitted and given a seat to a super cheap osteopathic state school and also have an interview later this month to a expensive private MD school in Boston that sounds like "Tough." I also was given the full scholarship by the AF board this round. My problem is that I only want to take the scholarship if I get into the expensive Boston school, but I will not find out until May 15 if I got accepted. It is definitely a bad deal for me over my lifetime if I take the AF scholarship to the cheap state school. The recruiter and the AF need a final decision by this upcoming Tuesday and so, I have two main options....

1. I can turn down the 4y scholarship and also torpedo any and all future chances of getting a 3Y scholarship from the AF (or so the recruiter says).

2. Or that I can sign the 4y scholarship, not go to COT, and if I get rejected from my Boston school, just "haggle" with AFIT to get out of my contract before I get any money or COT training from the AF (or so the ex-recruiter says).

3. Ask to be assigned as an alternate to the second AF scholarship board, and risk losing my scholarship just to delay the decision a while (NOT recommended by the recruiter).

Has anyone ever heard of someone doing option # 2 before?
Are there any negative consequences to it?

I really want to know what yall' think or would do. I am really running out of time (3 days left), and I just wish the AF could delay the whole procedure to May so that it would be easier on those of us applying to some private schools.

Hit me back with your reply. Peace.

 

[militarymd]

Originally posted by Moneybee
First of all congratulations to all who got in, I was told 70+ out of 140 got the scholarship.

Anyway I have a major dillema and want to know if someone could please help. I have been admitted and given a seat to a super cheap osteopathic state school and also have an interview later this month to a expensive private MD school in Boston that sounds like "Tough." I also was given the full scholarship by the AF board this round. My problem is that I only want to take the scholarship if I get into the expensive Boston school, but I will not find out until May 15 if I got accepted. It is definitely a bad deal for me over my lifetime if I take the AF scholarship to the cheap state school. The recruiter and the AF need a final decision by this upcoming Tuesday and so, I have two main options....

1. I can turn down the 4y scholarship and also torpedo any and all future chances of getting a 3Y scholarship from the AF (or so the recruiter says).

I think that is not true unless they no longer offer the 3 year scholarship....don't trust the recruiter. There is no reason why you can not get a 3 year scholarship. However, realize that even thouth it is a 3 year scholarship, through the vagaries of how you incur obligation, count on being on AD for more than 3 years.

2. Or that I can sign the 4y scholarship, not go to COT, and if I get rejected from my Boston school, just "haggle" with AFIT to get out of my contract before I get any money or COT training from the AF (or so the ex-recruiter says).

I would not recommend this course of action. If you sign, you are making a committment...you should go through with it regardless of where you wind up for school.

3. Ask to be assigned as an alternate to the second AF scholarship board, and risk losing my scholarship just to delay the decision a while (NOT recommended by the recruiter).

Once again, I would not trust your recruiter, they have a vested interest in getting you to sign ASAP.

Has anyone ever heard of someone doing option # 2 before?
Are there any negative consequences to it?

I really want to know what yall' think or would do. I am really running out of time (3 days left), and I just wish the AF could delay the whole procedure to May so that it would be easier on those of us applying to some private schools.

Hit me back with your reply. Peace.

Talk to someone higher up in HPSP adminstration...sorry I don't have a name, but don't trust your recruiter. I typed into the quote....read above for my responses to each of your options.

 

[Demosthenes_7]

I heard today that the Feb board extended their deadline for a week and accepted 100% of the 120 that submitted an application, leaving about 40-ish spots (not the 250 I originally thought) w/ about 80 applying for the next board.

I think these are about right, but don't hold me to them.